Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I had inquired previously, working in this building it’s hard not to notice the deteriorating condition, really, of the circle drive here and the walkways. I know there’s been a lot of money invested in those areas over the years, but it seems like they are forever sinking away. I was just wondering if it’s not to the point where some kind of almost emergency or immediate action is required to prevent the asphalt from getting worse. I’m curious about any future planned allocations in the Capital Budget for addressing the driveways and parking areas for the Legislative...

I realize we’ve had an unfortunate circumstance here, but I do want to say, too, that I have constituents who have received medical services through Capital Health Authority and thought that if they moved to Edmonton, they would get better service. They found out it was better to move back to the Northwest Territories, where they were given a priority status when receiving services at the U of A.

For the Minister’s information, the London, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta, university hospitals are the top two rated in Canada. I guess I’m just a little bit concerned that maybe with the rich...

Thank you. For the benefit of those people in Hay River who are maybe following and are interested, what did the visit of the Minister and designating the Diamond Jenness renovation as a red flag project mean? And from where we thought it was going to show up in the capital plans, where is it now? Why the difference in the timing?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for that. I really do look forward to getting it and actually visually inspecting those reports myself, because, you know, rumours do abound. I have heard that the reports had come back indicating even in a very small quantity, parts per million in the air — I’m not sure how it is measured — that there was asbestos in there. So I look very much forward to seeing those — not that I don’t believe the Minister, but I would like to see it with my own eyes.

Back to the issue, though, of the quality of the environment in which the students are educated in Hay River...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will devote my Member’s statement to the life and memory of Cal Mains. Mr. Mains is survived by his wife of 55 years, Alice, his daughters, Catherine and Anne, and his son, Sandy. Our condolences are extended to them at this time.

There is much to be celebrated of his life and his contribution to the North. Mr. Mains first moved to the North in 1950, serving as an RCMP officer in the communities of Aklavik, Herschel Islands and Tuktoyaktuk before retiring from the staff sergeant position in 1969 in Fort Smith. He also served for a time in the Yukon.

After retiring...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was actually interested in the terms of reference of the program review. I would like to know — and as I have indicated, there have been add-ons to government infrastructure — if there is funding available through other sources or through community resources to incorporate other activities — maybe not specifically into high school education — into buildings that are being built. Like I said, since we’re delayed now, anyway, on this capital project…. Not to muddy the waters, but I think it would be good to put out some kind of a call for anybody who may have input in...

My questions weren’t on that page. What page are we on?

Interjection.

I know when I chaired the Cultural Enhancement Commission, there were members of the commission who wanted to see everything around the Legislative Assembly cleared, brushed, but I guess it was the intent of the architect who designed this building at the time to keep as much area surrounding the Legislative Assembly as natural as possible. Might I suggest that with the lake out back and everything else, it has been left very natural.

I personally would not have any problem with looking at some fill for that area out front there. We have a large piece of land here, and a large portion of it is...

Is there an overall plan not just to repair what is there now, perhaps, but to look at additional parking out there as well? Now, I know a while back we put contractor parking in over here and so on, but it’s still disappointing to me in some ways that if we ever do have an event here…. We try to encourage the public to participate in activities that go on in this building. It is the people’s building, and it is always disappointing to me that the parking around this building becomes such an issue when there’s any event.

Now, I know there was an intention to try to preserve the integrity of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the wish of the committee is to continue on today with the capital acquisition document. I believe we’ll start off with the Legislative Assembly and then resume where we were on the list yesterday. I believe we’re going to ECE next.